Cut-N-Run from Iraq?

[lurker]

Web-posted Nov. 23, 10:48: AM
Iraq War
The Topeka Capital-Journal

The While House has pledged openness on Iraq.

The Democrats and their new majorities in the House and Senate want a new direction.

And the nation awaits the outcome of a stunning election in which Democrats swamped the Republicans at the polls.

How much of the election outcome was related to the war? How much had to do with scandal that devoured the Republican machine in the weeks and months before the election? What impact did other key issues, such as the economy or the abortion tug-of-war have on the Democrats’ success?
Without a doubt, President Bush interpreted the results as a mandate to alter the direction in Iraq. Within hours, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was on the way out. Within days, the administration retreated from its “full-steam ahead.” Said Josh Bolten, Bush’s chief of staff, “We clearly need a fresh approach.”

The Democrats, meanwhile, were struggling to agree on a solution.

Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan, the incoming chairman of the Armed Services Committee, urged that U.S. troops begin coming home in phases within four to six months. He and Congressional allies predicted many Republicans would support such a resolution now that the election is over.

But Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate’s top Democrat, wouldn’t go that far. He said he thought the withdrawal of U.S. troops should begin within a few months, but when asked if he would insist on a specific date, he said, “Absolutely not.”

We tend to agree with Reid.

The election may have been a mandate on the war. But the United States needs to be cautious. We made a mistake when we took on this war in underestimating the post-invasion resistance. We could make a similar mistake now by walking away as rapidly as possible, regardless the cost.

Reasonable heads need to prevail, and we hope the bipartisan Iraq Study Group will effectively put politics aside while placing the United States on a constructive, strategic path that will make the world safer.

Our troops have been magnificent in a near-impossible situation. Let us not allow all that has been achieved to be reduced to rubble in a matter of weeks.

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[TexKan]

Why are the Democrats beginning to sound like the republicans? Harry Reid sounds like what Bush has said all along........ aw politics! Course little snipits here and there don't tell the whol story - Oh I forgot we never are gonna get the whole story now and when we do the "bipartisinship" will be striclty democrat........... yep not much has changed - business as usual.

[The Drifter]

Once again british history class (hopefully i won't get hounded for relating past with present again)
When England decided to withdraw from India they went about dividing up the land by religion and did it very hastily. Hence the war between india and pakistan. They left to fast and created a mess. We leave to soon, we create another mess in the middle east. It's not like that region needs any more problems.

[TexKan]

Well the last history class I took was when you were probably a twinke in your papa's eye! My point was before the election (in order to get elected) the democrats song was - "leave" now the song is "stay just alittle bit longer" which was GW's song all along. My question is - when did the democrats become the "stay the course" fellas? All I heard was - stay the course - hell!......... now it's Hell - stay the course!

We all have known IF we leave to fast it's gonna be a bigger mess than it already is. Somewhere along the way the American people forgot........ War is Messy......... GW told us from day one that it would be a trying, tireing war and some would lose commitment - he told us it would not be an easy task. Why are those same words comming from the other side so noteworthy? I think folks otta go back and actually listen to what he said on the evening he committed our country to this - I don't see where he led us so wrong. Just my opinion but I get this errie feelin I have heard the democrats song before and it came from GW........ I don't see why they are bein applauded for somthing that has already been said...........

[lurker]

There's been a very noticable increase in car bombings lately. I attribute it to them believing that we are going to remove our boot from their necks.

Ignorance is bliss..... and the popular vote is too 'popular' for the hard taskers.

Oh well, they voted them in and now we'll just have to see what the dems are willing to do.

[Made in the USA]

Pull out, then use the place to "test our nuclear weapons"!!! And tell N. Korea if they don't shape up, then they are next!!

[SGT T.]

Anybody remember the last time we pulled out after things went bad? Somalia wasn't it? I hear things have gotten SO much better after we left, just ask those people on that cruise ship that got attacked by pirates. I am sure they were glad we withdrew.

There are only two available courses of action on Iraq. We either flood the place with troops and impose a total ban on all firearms except those owned by police and New Iraqi Army, or we totaly withdraw all US Forces. One option will cause hundreds of American casualties, the other will likly cause THOUSANDS of Iraqi casualties. What we as a nation have to ask ourselves is are we willing to pay that high cost to give another nation a shot at the same freedoms that we enjoy. Then, once there is peace, the absence of violence, the presence of hope, with or without a democratic government in place, we must accept that we did our best, and that is ALL that we can do.

[lurker]

There are only two available courses of action on Iraq

CONgress will likely find a third course of action that incorporates the worst elements of the two.

[SGT T.]

You may be correct Lurker, but I have to have hope that the Board of Directors for the Corp. which employes me (AKA Congress) will be able to do the right thing. I just have to.

[Highwayman]

Originally Posted by lurker

CONgress will likely find a third course of action that incorporates the worst elements of the two.

We were promised a new direction and that would qualify.

Originally Posted by SGT T.

You may be correct Lurker, but I have to have hope that the Board of Directors for the Corp. which employes me (AKA Congress) will be able to do the right thing. I just have to.

One thing in our favor is the party coming into power no longer has a propaganda lock on the media. Their feet will be held to the fire if they screw up.